| BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS |
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While the monthly exhibitions of work done by the members of the Vancouver
Sketch Club have neither the scope or the pretention of the more elaborate semi-annual
exhibitions, they are probably more valuable to the earnest student who takes his art
seriously and who is striving to improve his work than are the larger shows. They have
the intimate personal touch and the camaraderie of effort and they are an index of current
feeling as well as a materialization of the work of the actual movement. For these reasons the pictures shown have more of the actual individuality of the artist and have also the quality of showing him his own mistakes - which is the only thing that will help him to correct them. The exhibition held on Saturday afternoon at the rooms of the club was notable for a smaller mass of production and a higher quality of artistic feeling than previous exhibitions. The pictures also were mounted in a manner more in keeping with the general nature of the subjects under experiment. This has been achieved under suggestions framed and sent to members of the club at the instance of the hanging committee. Another increasing sign of the great vitality of the club is the inclusion of seventeen new members during the last month as a result of the forceful drive carried out mainly by Mrs. L.M. Gilpin, (sic) the secretary. Among the pictures themselves there is nothing in the nature of a startling departure from their accepted style by any of the members: two canvases have a dominating effect on the room as they face each other from opposite ends. These are the portrait sketch of a lady by Miss Margaret Wake, and another unusual portrait conception keyed in a scale of yellows by Mrs. Walter Winning. The Wake picture is very strong, is in the major mode with heavy overtones; it indicates a great vitality without limiting it. The other portrait shows a high technique in the brush work and the trick of painting the back view of the subject in order to enhance the beauty of the shoulders has been very successful. The coloring is soft and pleasing and conveys the impression that this lady, whose face is hidden, is a very good natured person. A feature among the smaller pieces is the tempera work of Mr. John Radford: he has demonstrated with a few strong and definite strokes the possibilities of this medium for rapid sketching, the masses and details are inserted with unerring judgment and the combination of strength and softness is instructive. The same artist has a good subject picture, "The Goose Girl," which is a departure from the unadorned landscape so popular with the amateur. Mr. Blake Hunt has some more wet pastels including one of Seymour Mountain from the north, in which the difficulties of handling large masses of white are ably overcome. Two sketches of the distinctive scenery of Savary Island, from the brush of Maud Sherman mark the industry of this young artist; there is a sort of rough poetry about her treatment of two wind-driven fir trees. T.W. Fripp contributes two sketches in his well-known style and Mrs. E. Barron (sic) has a striking sketch from Whytecliffe. "June in Ontario" by Mrs. Gilpin, is a rich and flowery conception of the garden of Canada, and is almost sub-tropical in its soft luxury of greens. Mr. John Scott has a small picture just inside the door showing a snow scene, its upper part is perfect. He also contributes another pen drawing which for breadth of treatment and the sunshine of its lighting is very satisfying. Miss Muriel Thrupp hangs a simple still life with a velvet finish and wonderful lighting. Mr. W. Pearce, a new member, contributes a sunset of good construction but immature coloring. Mrs. Schooley of its lighting (sic) is very satisfying. Miss Ethel Fonda and Miss Jessie Beldon also show good pieces, while Mrs. J.J. Kayall makes a contribution from the allied arts with an exhibition of pen painting on silk. |